Nessa Jenkins
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Gavin & Stacey ''Gavin & Stacey'' is a British sitcom created, written by and starring James Corden and Ruth Jones about two families: one from Billericay in Essex, and the other from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan. Mathew Horne and ...
'' is a British television comedy series, following the lives of the title characters
Gavin Gavin is a Celtic male given name. It is the Scottish variation of the medieval Welsh name Gawain, meaning 'God send' or 'white hawk/falcon'. Sir Gawain is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table. ''Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' is an epic poem ...
(
Mathew Horne Mathew Frazer Horne (born 6 September 1978) is an English actor, comedian, singer, television presenter, and narrator. He is best known for appearing on several BBC Sketch comedy, sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably ''Gavin & Stacey'' (as L ...
) and Stacey (
Joanna Page Joanna Louise Page is a Welsh actress and presenter, known for portraying List of Gavin & Stacey characters, Stacey Shipman in the BAFTA-winning television series ''Gavin & Stacey''. She played Dora Spenlow in the David Copperfield (1999 film), ...
). Stacey lives in
Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...
,
South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...
. Her best friend is
Nessa Jenkins ''Gavin & Stacey'' is a British television comedy series, following the lives of the title characters Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page). Stacey lives in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Barry, South Wales. Her best friend is #Nessa Jenkins, ...
(
Ruth Jones Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019, 2024), for which she won the B ...
). Gavin lives in
Billericay Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, east of the City of London. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Stratford Langthorne Abbey, Abbot of West Ham, ...
, Essex. His best friend is Neil "Smithy" Smith (
James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & S ...
). During the first two series Gavin lives with his parents
Mick Mick is a masculine given name or nickname, usually a hypocorism of Michael. Because of its popularity in Ireland, it is often used in the English-speaking world as an ethnic slur for Irish people. In Australia, the meaning also broadened to incl ...
(
Larry Lamb Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Ted Case in the final series of ...
) and Pam (
Alison Steadman Alison Steadman (born 26 August 1946) is an English actress. She received the 1977 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for ''Abigail's Party'', the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for the Mike Leigh film ...
). In the third series, he has moved in with Stacey and Stacey's mother,
Gwen Gwen may refer to: * Gwen (given name), including a list of people with the name * Gwen (singer), a member of the Filipino Pinoy pop group Bini * ''Gwen, or the Book of Sand'', a 1985 animated film * Gwen (film), a 2018 horror film * Tropical Storm ...
(
Melanie Walters Melanie Walters (born 30 January 1962) is a Welsh actress who has worked frequently in television. She is best known for playing Gwen West in the BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Emma, a vampire in the third series of '' Being Human''. Early l ...
). Uncle Bryn (
Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...
) lives directly opposite.


Characters

: =
Main cast In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra to land the role of a character in a script, screenpla ...
(credited) : = Recurring cast : = Guest cast


Main characters

* Gavin Shipman (
Mathew Horne Mathew Frazer Horne (born 6 September 1978) is an English actor, comedian, singer, television presenter, and narrator. He is best known for appearing on several BBC Sketch comedy, sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably ''Gavin & Stacey'' (as L ...
) – Gavin is an only child, and still lives with his loving father and doting mother in
Billericay Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, east of the City of London. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Stratford Langthorne Abbey, Abbot of West Ham, ...
, Essex. He works for a company called ICB and spends his spare time with his best friend Smithy along with his other friends Gary & Simon, Dirtbox, Fingers, Budgie, Swede, Chinese Alan and Jesus. He is a big fan of
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
(as is Horne) and is often seen wearing his Spurs shirt. In the course of his job, he had to deal with a company called Bedmores, based in
Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...
. The Bedmores representative he had to correspond with was a woman called Stacey West, who was asked to order Thermal Fins for the company computers, as described in the show's supplementary book. The pair found they got on very well and after months of talking and flirting, they decided to meet in London. They agreed that Gavin would bring his best friend Smithy, and Stacey would bring her best friend Nessa. They met up, went clubbing and had sex. When Stacey and Nessa boarded the coach back to Wales, Gavin took a taxi home, jumped in his car and drove to Barry from Essex, meeting Stacey when her coach arrived in Barry. The two quickly told each other that they were in love and, within nine weeks, they were engaged and married. Gavin, along with his father Mick, often play the "straight men" in the series, baffled and frustrated by the antics of their family and friends. Gavin's main personality flaw is that he is slightly spoiled, possibly due to being an only child, and gets irritated when he does not get his way. He is not always sensitive; when Stacey, who is very attached to her hometown, gets depressed and homesick upon moving to Billericay, Gavin is more dismissive and confused than he is concerned. Gavin is also less willing to discuss his private life than his wife. He finds it odd that Stacey is so eager and ready to spill intimate details to Nessa, Bryn, her mother and her brother. Despite these differences, Gavin loves Stacey enormously, demonstrating this by finding a job in Wales so he can move to Barry, despite previously expressing a dislike for it. In Series 3, he agrees with Stacey to try to have a baby, only to discover she had not been on the pill for a year. Although he is very angry about Stacey not telling him the truth, he becomes much more depressed when he learns that he has fertility problems. They decide to carry on trying to conceive for a few months, and they should start looking at alternatives afterwards. In the final episode, Stacey discovers she is pregnant, and Gavin is just as thrilled as she is. In the 2019 Christmas special, Gavin is now a father of three children, son Harri and daughters Caitlin and Megan, living in Barry with Stacey. * Stacey Shipman (née West) (
Joanna Page Joanna Louise Page is a Welsh actress and presenter, known for portraying List of Gavin & Stacey characters, Stacey Shipman in the BAFTA-winning television series ''Gavin & Stacey''. She played Dora Spenlow in the David Copperfield (1999 film), ...
) – Stacey is 26 and is from
Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...
, near
Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
. Her father, Trevor, died three years ago, and she lived at home with her mother in Barry until her marriage. Her
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...
brother, Jason, lives in Spain. She had been engaged five times before meeting Gavin Shipman, something she preferred to forget and kept from him. She is very bubbly, excitable and full of conversation but also slightly fragile and prone to overreacting. An example is her misreading Gavin's sudden businesslike tone during a call from work when his boss appears over him, immediately thinking he is trying to break up. Gavin then has to drive all the way to Barry to patch things up. She confides frequently in her best friend, Nessa. Stacey has never been away from Barry before she visits Gavin, and becomes very homesick when she marries him and moves to Essex. After a few months of finding no work, she tells Gavin she can no longer live in Essex and will be moving back home. During the course of their separation, Stacey decides their selfishness about where they live means they are not meant to be together and is on the verge of giving her wedding ring back when Nessa goes into labour. After Nessa gives birth, they make up and resolve to find a way for both of them to be happy. A few months later, Gavin decides to get a job in Cardiff so he can move to Barry Island to keep Stacey happy. Stacey discovers she is pregnant in the final episode of Series 3, after desperately taking a large number of pregnancy tests. In the 2019 Christmas special, Stacey is now a mother of three children, son Harri and daughters Caitlin and Megan, living in Barry with Gavin. * Neil Noel Edmunds "Smithy" Smith (
James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & S ...
) – Smithy is 28 and Gavin's best friend, and they've known each other since primary school. He is a self-employed builder and decorator. He is very protective of Gavin – he is disappointed when Gavin gets engaged to Stacey and when Gavin and Stacey go on honeymoon, he calls Gavin every day for the 3 weeks they are there, and gets angry at Gavin for leaving his phone off. He loves Gavin's parents more than his own, and has an unseen girlfriend called Lucy, who, according to Smithy, is seventeen and three quarter years old. He loves unusual beer,
paintball Paintball is a competitive sport, competitive team sport, team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called Paintball equipment#Paintballs, paintballs that b ...
and
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
. When Nessa gives birth to their son they name him Neil after Smithy himself and Nessa's father. In the series finale, Smithy stops Nessa's wedding but far from declaring his feelings for her he says that if she needs a father for Neil he's there and thus she doesn't need to marry unless she loves Dave, thus causing Nessa and Dave not to get married. He is shown to have obvious similarities to Nessa, such as: refusing to share food, being very upfront, protective of their best friends, and they like most of the same food and drink, such as KFC, corn on the cob, and
Irn-Bru Irn-Bru ( "iron brew", ) is a Scottish carbonated soft drink, often described as "Scotland's other national drink" after Scotch whisky. Introduced in 1901, the drink is produced in Westfield, Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, by A.G. Barr of ...
. Smithy wears his heart on his sleeve and is given to intense public displays of emotion, and will cry or sulk with little provocation. Smithy eats, drinks and smokes to excess and is overweight. At the time of the 2019 Christmas special he has a girlfriend Sonia though this relationship disintegrates over the course of the episode. At the end, Nessa proposes to him. In the 2024 special, it is revealed that Smithy went through with proposing to Sonia and left Nessa hanging. However, five years later, Smithy realises how much he loves Nessa instead and proposes to her after running out on his own wedding. Nessa accepts and the two are married. * Vanessa Shanessa "Nessa" Smith (née Jenkins) (
Ruth Jones Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019, 2024), for which she won the B ...
) – Nessa is Stacey's best friend, also from Barry. She discovers she is pregnant in the fourth episode of Series 1 and it is later revealed that Smithy is the father following the second time they were intimate at Pam and Mick's house. She speaks fluent Italian and
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...
, has several tattoos, most notably a large red dragon on her right upper arm. She is a
chain smoker Chain smoking is the practice of smoking several cigarettes in succession, sometimes using the ember of a finishing cigarette to light the next. The term chain smoker often also refers to a person who smokes relatively constantly, though not nec ...
(except during her pregnancy) and was one of the original members of
All Saints All Saints' Day is a Christian holiday. All Saints, All Saints Day or Feast of All Saints may also refer to: Art and entertainment * ''All Saints'' (film), a 2017 Christian drama film * ''All Saints'' (TV series), an Australian hospital drama * ...
(but didn't get along with Shaznay). She works at the Barry Island Amusement Arcades or "The Slots". Nessa regularly recalls strange and often lewd experiences with celebrities. She gives birth to baby Neil in the finale of Series 2 and becomes engaged to Dave Coaches in the 2008 Christmas special. In the series finale, Smithy declares his feelings for Nessa at her wedding, and Dave accepts that Nessa never really loved him, always replying "I Know" when he told her he loved her, and that he was the father figure that Smithy will now be. Nessa's age is unknown throughout the show until the 2019 Christmas Special when it is implied that she is 55 years old. Her
catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
s include "Ohhhh", "Tidy", "Genuine", "Truth be told", "Immense", "I'm not gonna to lie to you", "What's occurring?" and on occasion "What's Appertaining?" In the third series, it was discovered that she is an
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
fan. She has jet black bob-style hair and wears Gothic style make up. She is serious, outgoing, and surprisingly intelligent at times. She has had a number of interesting occupations including being a
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
radio producer, a roadie for "
The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
", and driving trucks for
Eddie Stobart Edward Pears Stobart (18 April 1929 – 25 November 2024) was a British businessman who started an agriculture business in the late 1940s. This became Eddie Stobart Limited in 1970 and expanded to a haulage company during the 1970s with the h ...
(who gave her two trucks to keep when she left,) and a running feature of the programme is her wide range of impressive occupations, abilities (apart from speaking fluent Italian she is an excellent ten pin bowler) and acquaintance or relationships with various famous people. In the 2019 Christmas Special it appears Nessa's life has continued in much the same way throughout the 2010s as it did during the original series' while bringing up her son. She proposes to Smithy at the end of the episode. However, it is revealed in the 2024 special that Nessa was left hanging and Smithy proposed to his girlfriend Sonia. Five years after the proposal, Nessa decides to leave Barry Island as she can't deal with Smithy getting married. However, Smithy calls off his wedding to Sonia after realising he loves Nessa and she is approached by him and their friends as she is about to leave. Smithy proposes to Nessa who accepts and they are married. * Michael "Mick" Shipman (
Larry Lamb Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Ted Case in the final series of ...
) – Mick is Gavin's father; a down-to-earth
bloke ''Bloke'' is a slang term for a common man in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The earliest known usage is from the early 19th century, when it was recorded as a London slang term. The word's origin is un ...
, like his son. He's happy with his life – running his own company, playing golf and going to the
pub quiz A pub quiz is a quiz held in a pub or Bar (drinking establishment), bar. These events are also called quiz nights, trivia nights, or bar trivia and may be held in other settings. The pub quiz is a modern example of a pub game, and often attempts ...
every Tuesday. He genuinely loves his wife, Pam, his stability and cool head contrasting her often frantic and scatter-brained approach to life. That said, he's not above finding some wry enjoyment in Pam's self-made disasters unfolding in front of them both. * Pamela Andrea "Pam" Shipman (née Gryglaszewska) (
Alison Steadman Alison Steadman (born 26 August 1946) is an English actress. She received the 1977 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for ''Abigail's Party'', the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for the Mike Leigh film ...
) – Pam is Gavin's proud and doting mother. She is in her fifties, though her exact age is unknown as, according to her husband, she has claimed to be 51 on her past five birthdays. She is a stereotypical
Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
wife and is very house-proud. She is also very caring of Smithy, Gavin's best friend, and treats him as if he were her own son. Pam adores
Queen Camilla Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Camilla was raised in East ...
(who was
Duchess of Cornwall The Duchess of Cornwall is a title held by the wife of the heir apparent to the British throne. The Duchess of Cornwall is usually also the Princess of Wales, and she uses that title. The current title-holder is Catherine, Princess of Wales, Ca ...
at the time) and she refers
Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...
as a "hussy". She acts out sexual fantasies of
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...
and Camilla with her husband, Mick. She dotes on Gavin, who she calls her "Little Prince". She is very welcoming of Stacey into the family – the first time Stacey meets her, she helps her with a pimple on her face, in a motherly fashion, which allows the two to bond. She is horrified when Gavin and Stacey announce they're moving back to Barry and she accuses Stacey of 'stealing' her son. She apologises the next morning for overreacting. Pam is prone to using
eggcorn An eggcorn is the alteration of a word or phrase through the mishearing or reinterpretation of one or more of its elements,, sense 2 creating a new phrase which is plausible when used in the same context. Thus, an eggcorn is an unexpectedly fitti ...
s, such as saying "ours is not to question while" (instead of "why") or "Barry's Island" instead of "Barry Island". She is often nervous and excitable and this leads her into awkward social situations, such as forcing Mick to go food shopping in response to an attack of paranoia about her guests' dietary requirements, and then falsely claiming to be newly vegetarian (a pretence she is forced to maintain, much to her frustration because she craves meat) to explain why he has arrived with several bags of vegetarian food. Her
catchphrases A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
include "Oh My Christ", "I panicked (name)" and "Mick! Michael!" *Brynfor "Bryn" West (
Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...
) – Bryn is Stacey and Jason's uncle. He is the brother of Stacey's deceased father, Trevor and is a single man in his late forties. He lives across the road from Stacey and his sister-in-law, Gwen and is very protective of them. In Series 1 and 2, he had a strained relationship with his nephew Jason due to an unspecified but clearly disturbing incident on a fishing trip. He leads a very simple life and often gets excited about trivial things such as his Sat Nav or the Internet. He also enjoys typically female-orientated TV shows such as ''
Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Marc Cherry, and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012, for a tota ...
'' and ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO, based on Sex and the City (newspaper column), the newspaper column and 1996 book by Candace Bushnell. It premiered in th ...
''. He is a keen singer and sings with Stacey's best friend, Nessa. In Series 2, he puts a home gym in his house that is "the talk of the street". Bryn also displays latent homosexual tendencies but is seemingly too innocent and childlike to address them. For instance, Bryn converted one of the bedrooms in his home into a gym and invites Smithy over where they strip shirtless and have a close workout followed by a "warm down" that involves rubbing each other. Smithy does not see this as a sexual thing at all, even though it makes Gavin uncomfortable. It has been implied a number of times that Bryn was abused by his brother Trevor as a child, such as Trevor leaving him terrified on a ghost train or hanging him by his ankles and swinging him against rocks, resulting in two broken arms. He claims he "rather enjoyed the experience" as it was only "tomfoolery" but it shocks everyone and horrifies Pam. * Gwen West (
Melanie Walters Melanie Walters (born 30 January 1962) is a Welsh actress who has worked frequently in television. She is best known for playing Gwen West in the BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Emma, a vampire in the third series of '' Being Human''. Early l ...
) – Gwen is Stacey and Jason's mother. She is a widow in her late forties and has two children, Jason and Stacey. She is a housewife and regularly offers to cook
omelette An omelette (sometimes omelet in American English; see spelling differences) is a dish made from eggs (usually chicken eggs), fried with butter or oil in a frying pan. It is a common practice for an omelette to include fillings such as chiv ...
s. She's a caring, kind woman who lets herself be taken advantage of by Stacey's best friend, Nessa. She's very close to Stacey as they spent many years living together. In Series 3, Stacey and her husband Gavin move back in with Gwen. On the day of Nessa's wedding, Nessa told Gwen that she was like a mother to her before kissing her on the lips, which gobsmacks Gwen but does not affect Nessa. In the 2024 special, it is revealed that she has begun a relationship with Dave.


Other characters

*David "Dave Coaches" Lloyd Gooch (
Steffan Rhodri Steffan Rhodri (born 1967, in Morriston, Swansea) is a Welsh film and television actor, best known for portraying bus driver Dave Coaches in the BBC comedy series '' Gavin & Stacey''. Early and personal life Steffan Rhodri was born in 1967, i ...
) – Coach driver in Barry and Nessa's fiancé, after they got engaged in the Christmas special. Aspersions are cast regarding his sexual health in Series 1, although it is revealed in Series 2 that he has been to "the clinic". He is the only person, other than Bryn and Jason, who knows what happened on the fishing trip, after Bryn told him to get the matter off his chest. His relationship with Nessa results in both Bryn and Jason being incredibly nervous about him telling their friends what happened, although he makes it very clear to Bryn he wouldn't tell anyone about it. He also has his own company named Dave's Coaches. He often shows jealousy towards Smithy for being the father of Nessa's child. Smithy gets jealous of him for always spending time with his son and treating him like his own. In the final episode he leaves Nessa at the altar as he doesn't believe she loves him. Nessa's father mentions him having "blood on his hands", but says he was joking, knowing that "nothing was proven". Dave often has a strained relationship with the other characters, and has publicly had angry exchanges with Bryn, Smithy and Pete, who punched Dave in the face after he made an uncharitable remark about his wife, Dawn. In the 2024 special, it is revealed that he has begun a relationship with Gwen. * Jason West (
Robert Wilfort Robert Kenneth Wilfort (born 20 April 1977) is a Welsh actor from Porthcawl, who has made many appearances on British television and film. He is best known for his role as Jason West in BBC's ''Gavin & Stacey''. His other television appearance ...
) – Stacey's elder brother, son of Gwen and her late husband, Trevor. He is gay and lives in Spain with his boyfriend. He and Bryn share a rather awkward relationship due to some mysterious goings-on on the fateful fishing trip. Although the events of the fishing trip are never explicitly revealed, it is strongly implied that there was a close and intimate encounter between Jason and Bryn. When they attempt to explain to Dave the reason for what they did that night, Bryn says "It was freezing cold...and when you're that cold you-" before being cut off by Gavin entering the room. He is disappointed in the first series when Gavin and Stacey get married and he is not chosen to take Stacey down the aisle. He and Bryn eventually become friends again, something they are both glad about. * Peter "Pete" Sutcliffe (
Adrian Scarborough Adrian Philip Scarborough is an English actor. He has appeared in films including '' The Madness of King George'' (1994), '' Gosford Park'' (2001), '' Vera Drake'' (2004), '' The History Boys'' (2006), '' The King's Speech'' (2010), '' Les Misé ...
) and Dawn Sutcliffe (
Julia Davis Julia Davis (born August 1966) is an English actress, comedian, director and writer. She is known for writing and starring in the comedies Human Remains (TV series), ''Human Remains'' (2000) and ''Nighty Night'' (2004–2005). She later worke ...
) – Friends of Pam and Mick's. They have a very strained marriage and regularly insult each other in public. They have two children, Fiona and Alex. Also part of the ongoing joke that characters share their surnames with serial killers – in this case
Peter Sutcliffe Peter William Sutcliffe (2 June 1946 – 13 November 2020), also known as Peter Coonan, was an English serial killer who was convicted of murdering thirteen women and attempting to murder seven others between 1975 and 1980. He was du ...
, the
Yorkshire Ripper Peter William Sutcliffe (2 June 1946 – 13 November 2020), also known as Peter Coonan, was an English serial killer who was convicted of murdering thirteen women and attempting to murder seven others between 1975 and 1980. He was du ...
. He punches Dave in the Christmas special. He also attempts a
threesome In human sexuality, a threesome is "a sexual interaction between three people whereby at least one engages in physical sexual behaviour with both the other individuals". While the term ''threesome'' typically refers to sexual activity involvin ...
at the beginning of Series 2 with his wife Dawn and a man named Seth. It didn't work out as Seth said the photo they sent him was not representative of them as a couple. The couple renewed their vows in Series 3, but got into a fight over Pete's choice of ring before the end of the ceremony. By the final episode they have divorced, but reunite after a drunken party at Pam and Mick's. Pete wishes for this to be a one-off, but is coerced by Dawn into resuming their relationship. *Catherina "Cath" Smith (
Pam Ferris Pamela Ferris (born 11 May 1948) is a British actress. She has starred in numerous British television series, including Connie (TV series), ''Connie'' (1985), ''The Darling Buds of May (TV series), The Darling Buds of May'' (1991–1993), ''W ...
) – Smithy and Rudi's mother who first appears in the first episode of Series 3. She is rumoured to have had a lesbian relationship with the headteacher of Gavin and Smithy's primary school. She claims to suffer from
narcolepsy Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that impairs the ability to regulate sleep–wake cycles, and specifically impacts REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. The symptoms of narcolepsy include excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), sleep-r ...
, though Pam attributes this to her excessive drinking. She attends single mother support groups and has been known to perform lewd acts on
webcam A webcam is a video camera which is designed to record or stream to a computer or computer network. They are primarily used in Videotelephony, video telephony, live streaming and social media, and Closed-circuit television, security. Webcams can b ...
, having once accidentally exposed herself to Nessa thinking she was a man named John. * Doris "Dor" O'Neill (
Margaret John Margaret John (14 December 1926 – 2 February 2011) was a Welsh, BAFTA award-winning actress, known for her role as Doris O'Neill in ''Gavin & Stacey''. Early life Born in Swansea, as a child she wanted to be a nurse or vet, but she could n ...
) – Gwen's elderly next door neighbour. She looks like a stereotypical "little old lady", in sharp contrast to her behaviour and blunt, profanity-littered conversational style. Doris regularly dates younger men, even offering herself up to Gavin for "discreet" extramarital relations, and is described by Bryn as "a player". She has a daughter named Moira, whom she loathes and would like to "smother" if she saw her again. Gwen even goes so far as to say "she was a nasty piece of work". Doris is a
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
as mentioned in S1 Ep 2, and her surname suggests that she is of Irish descent. It is Doris who mentions the unfortunate coincidence of Gavin and Stacey sharing the West and Shipman surnames with
serial murderer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
s
Fred Fred or FRED may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Fred ...
and
Rose West Rosemary Pauline West (née Letts; born 29 November 1953) is an English serial killer who collaborated with her husband, Fred West, in the torture and murder of ten young women between 1973 and 1987;
and
Harold Shipman Harold Frederick Shipman (14 January 1946 – 13 January 2004), known to acquaintances as Fred Shipman, was an English doctor in general practice and serial killer. He is considered to be one of the most prolific serial killers in modern ...
. In the Christmas Special, it is mentioned that Doris has since passed away, in which the group toast to her memory while gathered at the pub. * Ruth "Rudi" Smith (
Sheridan Smith Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress and singer. She came to prominence after playing a variety of characters in sitcoms, including '' The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), ''Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Cri ...
) – Smithy's sister, also likes to be called "Smithy" in an attempt to imitate and irritate her brother, with whom she often fights. * Neil Noel Edmund Smith aka Neil, the Baby (Lewis Merchant (Christmas Special 2008), Ewan Kennedy (Series 3), Oscar Hartland (Series 3 – Christmas Special 2024) – The son of Smithy and Nessa, named after both Smithy himself and Nessa's father. His middle names come from Smithy's uncle Edmund and Nessa's friend
Noel Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places * Noel, Missouri, United States, a city *Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community *Noel Park, a suburb in Greater London, Engla ...
from
Hear'Say Hear'Say were a British pop group. They were created through the ITV (TV network), ITV reality TV show ''Popstars (British TV series), Popstars'' in February 2001, the first UK series of the international ''Popstars'' Media franchise, franch ...
. In the 2019 Christmas special, he is an eleven-year-old schoolboy. * Neil Jenkins (Ifan Huw Dafydd) – Nessa's father; appears at the Christening but is obviously uncomfortable at being back in Barry due to unknown previous events. He is a part-time actor who has appeared as an extra in ''
Lark Rise to Candleford ''Lark Rise to Candleford'' is a trilogy of autobiographical novel, semi-autobiographical novels by Flora Thompson about the countryside of north-east Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England, at the end of the 19th century. The stories were ...
'' and as a man in a coma in ''
Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...
''. * Dick Powell (Gwynfor Roberts) The only exclusively
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...
-speaking inhabitant of Barry. Sells items on the black market such as satellite navigation systems and meat that his brother steals from the slaughterhouse where he works. He enjoys chicken and
Glamorgan sausage Glamorgan sausage () is a traditional Welsh vegetarian sausage for which the main ingredients are cheese (usually Caerphilly), leeks and breadcrumbs. It is named after the historic county of Glamorgan in Wales. The earliest published mention ...
sandwiches. * Deano (
Mathew Baynton Mathew John Baynton (born 18 November 1980) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. He is a member of the Them There collective, in which he wrote and starred in ''Horrible Histories (2009 TV series), Horrible Histories'', ''Yonderlan ...
) is a friend of Gavin and Smithy. He works with Smithy and is known for being gormless and somewhat naïve. He learnt Welsh prior to coming over to Wales with the "Essex Lads". He wasn't at Gavin's stag, but got a T-shirt made afterwards when they went to the foam party. Among his idiosyncrasies is a fondness for drinking a mixture of equal parts tea and coffee, which he calls a "toffee" or a "cea" (pronounced "key"). * Owain Hughes (
Steven Meo Steven James Meo is a Welsh television actor from Coelbren in the Swansea Valley in Wales. He is best known for his roles in BBC Wales sitcom '' High Hopes'' (2002–2008), BBC Three series '' Grownups'' (2006–2009), and BBC Wales drama serie ...
) – one of Gavin's co-workers at his new job in
Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
in Series 3. Constantly the subject of an unclear joke that seems to be understood only by the Welsh: "My name is Owain Hughes and before you ask, no I don't!".https://walesguidebook.com/famous/tv-and-movies/owain-hughes-joke/ By the final episode Gavin understands the joke, which has something to do with rhyming "Owain Hughes" with "Owe Wain Hughes". * Sonia (
Laura Aikman Laura Holly Aikman (born 24 December 1985) is an English actress. She has appeared in an array of television shows including '' The Mysti Show'' (2004–2005), ''Casualty'' (2009–2010), '' Lemon La Vida Loca'' (2012–2013), ''4 O'Clock Club'' ...
) – Smithy's girlfriend who first appears in the 2019 Christmas Special. In the 2024 Christmas special, Smithy is about to marry her before realising, in the ceremony, that he loves Nessa instead. * Harri, Caitlin and Megan Shipman (Gabriel Mitell, Martha Tregonning, Maddison Belle Platt) – Gavin and Stacey's three children who first appear in the 2019 Christmas Special. They share names with
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. As the younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, he is fifth in the line of succession to t ...
,
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge Catherine, Princess of Wales (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982), is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne. Born in Reading, Berkshire, Readi ...
and
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (; born Rachel Meghan Markle, August 4, 1981) is an American member of the British royal family, media personality, entrepreneur, and former actress. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son ...
.


Gavin and Smithy's Friends

*Karl "Budgie" Barratt (
Russell Tovey Russell George Tovey (born 14 November 1981) is a British actor. He is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural comedy-drama '' Being Human'', Rudge in both the stage and film versions of '' The History ...
) – A friend of Gavin and Smithy. He is nicknamed as such because he has big ears; his full name is revealed on the table plan at Gavin and Stacey's wedding at the end of Series 1. He has a brother called Magpie, who works as a DJ. In the 2019 Christmas special, Smithy states that Budgie is now a grandfather. *Chinese Alan (Dominic Gaskell) – A friend of Gavin and Smithy. His catchphrase is "Someone order a Chinese?" *Craig "Fingers" ( Samuel Anderson) – A friend of Gavin and Smithy. He is so named because of his womanizing attitude. He has an on-off relationship with Stacey's friend, Louise. *Dominic "Dirtbox" (
Andrew Knott Andrew Knott (born 22 November 1979) is an English actor. He is known for portraying Dickon Sowerby in 1993 film adaptation ''The Secret Garden'', based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and as Henry Green in the television drama serie ...
) – A friend of Gavin and Smithy. He seems to be somewhat short tempered and snappy. In the 2019 Christmas special Smithy states that Dirtbox is recently divorced. *Jesus (Daniel Curtis) – A friend of Gavin and Smithy. He only appears in the stag episode; most likely because no one in the group really seems to like him. *Swede – (John Grisley) A friend of Gavin and Smithy. He rarely says anything. *Gary (Jason Gregg) – A friend of Gavin and Smithy. He has been friends with them since primary school. He is never seen without his best friend Simon – Gavin even answering a phone call using both names – except for in Series 3, where it appears they have had an argument. *Simon (Daniel Jeffrey) – A friend of Gavin and Smithy. He has been friends with them since primary school. He is never seen without his best friend Gary; but he does not appear in Series 3, as it appears he has had an argument with Gary. *Luggy (Uncredited) – A friend of Gavin and Smithy. He has glasses and is quite tall. He is relatively quiet when compared to the rest of Gavin's friends as he is often seen in the background of the conversation and has no dialogue. He is not seen in Series 3 for unknown reasons.


Minor characters

*Seth – Swinger who responded to Dawn and Pete's request for a threesome partner, he later backed out because the picture of Dawn and Pete was 15 years old. *Gruffydd (Griff) Lloyd ( Alan David) – friend of Bryn and Doris. He attended Gavin and Stacey's wedding with Doris in Series 1. *Father Chris ( William Thomas) – A vicar in Barry who conducts Gavin and Stacey's wedding, and Neil The Baby's christening. He is rather short-tempered. *José Pavarez ( Matt Johnson) – Jason's boyfriend, who attends Gavin and Stacey's wedding. *Jammy (
Matt Lucas Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer and television host. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain (TV series), Little Britain'' (2003–2006) ...
) – stag party organiser who Smithy meets at a wedding fair in episode four of series one. Jammy convinces Smithy to arrange a stag weekend in Prague that he will also attend, which Gavin vetoes. *Edna Sutcliffe (
Edna Doré Edna Lillian Doré (''née'' Gorring; 31 May 1921 – 11 April 2014) was a British actress. She was known for her bit-part roles in sitcoms and for playing the character of Mo Butcher in ''EastEnders'' from 1988 to 1990. Career Doré began h ...
) – Pete's mother, only seen once in the Christmas Special, where Pete forgot her and she stayed behind the bar overnight. She is mentioned as having died by the 2019 Christmas special. *Celebrant (
Anna Maxwell Martin Anna Maxwell Martin (born Anna Charlotte Martin; 10 May 1977), sometimes credited as Anna Maxwell-Martin, is an English actress who won two British Academy Television Awards, for her portrayals of Esther Summerson in the BBC adaptation of ''Ble ...
) – at Smithy and Sonia's abandoned wedding. *Betty (
Hazel Douglas Hazel Douglas (2 November 1923 – 8 September 2016) was an English actress. She portrayed Bathilda Bagshot in ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1''. Her credits stretch back to the early days of television, and include ''Sund ...
) – A neighbour of Pam and Mick. She is only seen talking to Pam about Mick's short stint on a news broadcast. *Scott – One of Doris' much younger boyfriends, whom she casually describes as "a bit of a pothead". *Natalie Lewis – Sales assistant whose brother and father once had a fight with Nessa.


Notes


References


External links


Full Gavin & Stacey Cast List
{{DEFAULTSORT:List of Gavin and Stacey characters
Gavin Gavin is a Celtic male given name. It is the Scottish variation of the medieval Welsh name Gawain, meaning 'God send' or 'white hawk/falcon'. Sir Gawain is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table. ''Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' is an epic poem ...
Gavin & Stacey